My Plate, My Planet

I’m happy to add our support to this open letter, and urge you to add your support at http://www.myplatemyplanet.org

Food for a Sustainable Nation: An Open Letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

Dear Secretaries Burwell and Vilsack:

Along with the more than 100 organizations and individuals who signed the full-page ad in The New York Times today, we urge you to adopt the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recommendations on sustainability, which found:

“A diet higher in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and lower in calories and animal-based foods is more health promoting and is associated with less environmental impact than is the current U.S. diet…”

“Current evidence shows that the average U.S. diet has a larger environmental impact in terms of increased greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, and energy use…”

“Linking health, dietary guidance, and the environment will promote human health and the sustainability of natural resources and ensure current and long-term food security.”

As Americans, we rely on our government to provide accurate, science-based information, that promotes the health of our families and our environment.

We support the sustainability recommendations in the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, calling for less meat and more plants in our diets for the sake of our health and that of the planet.